The Apartment
by Fettkat
Summary: Valentine's Special! A story in three parts chronicling three momentous days in the life of a very special newly-wed couple and the apartment they choose to move into. How love can trump the darkness of years and bring new hope for the future.
1. Moving Day

_**A/N: I know I had been promising this for Valentine's Day so this is a bit belated. But... better late than never!**_

_**A short but sweet sequel to "Myri and Me". But not to worry, you can read and enjoy even if you haven't read MnM, as long as you accept the lead pairing. Don't expect a plot here, folks, this is pure, unadulterated romantic fluff!**_  
_**Rated M for the end of the first chapter.**_

_**And so we begin... again! Enjoy and squeeee to your heart's content! **_  
_**- FK.**_

**Chapter 1: Moving Day**

"No no, Threepio! Not there! Bring it_ here_!"

Levitating in a box of Force-alone-knew-what, Ben Skywalker paused at the doorway to their new apartment. As he wiped his hand across his brow, a broad grin creased his face at the sight of his wife, hands firmly planted on her hips, standing in the centre of the living room, guiding Threepio and Artoo into depositing cartons and furniture like a battle commander.

"What took you so long?"

She had turned to him, her hair tied up on the top of her head in a no-nonsense style, dressed in a tank top and slacks that allowed for maximum ease of movement. And even though she was glaring at him, Ben wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and tell her for perhaps the ten zillionth time exactly how much he loved her.

Myri Antilles-Skywalker didn't appear to notice the loving expression crossing her husband's face. Or perhaps she did. The intent of her gaze didn't let up, however.

"I thought you were a Jedi or something. Don't you fling whole battle droids away with the wave of a hand? I wouldn't have thought one box would prove to be so challenging."

Ben strolled in.  
"Ah, but you see, my dear, where you're making the obvious mistake is in confusing 'Jedi' with 'magician'. No doubt a conjuror worth his salt could clap his hands and click his fingers a couple of times and everything would just fall into place, but you only married a poor Jedi Knight. I don't have magic, my love, only the Force. And the Force requires patience."

Myri was looking exasperated.  
"Are you done, Master Jedi? That wasn't the only box I packed in the cargo speeder, you know. And don't think you can talk your way out of your responsibilities this time!"

Ben widened his eyes to look as innocent as possible, mouthing, "Who? Me?"

Myri tapped him on his chest.  
"Yes you. Just like you wheedled out of the lion's share of the packing exercise. Don't think I'm not on to your tricks, mister. I wasn't CorSec for nothing!"

She slapped him playfully and shoved him towards the door.  
"Go, Red! The house isn't going to furnish itself! And Threepio'll make a hash of all the placements if I'm not there to supervise."

Ben ambled reluctantly towards the exit, casting beseeching glances over his shoulder even as Artoo trundled in, tweetle-booping importantly as he pushed along a trolley of luggage.

He scowled down at the astromech.  
"Oh so now you've gone over to her side as well, huh? After all the years I spent scrubbing and polishing you and keeping dust out of all your hidden places. Ungrateful blob!"

Artoo whistled sharply.  
"Hey! Watch who you're calling a smartmouth, you crazy pile of circuits!"

The droid's reply was bitingly sarcastic.  
"Alright, alright! I'm going, I'm going! Sheesh! Being with my dad for so long, now you're even beginning to _sound _ like him!"

* * *

Later, having finally managed to move in all the luggage, cartons, bags and boxes, with the help of the two droids, Ben and Myri ordered in pizza. Ben leaned back against a box, his bare chest gleaming with the sweat of an honest day's work. He'd taken his shirt off and then kept it off after Myri had sneaked up on him and whispered in his ear that she liked his bare-bodied workman look. He chewed his slice ruminatively as he let his gaze wander over the once familiar walls and ceiling.

Ben and Myri had pooled their savings and bought Jacen Solo's old apartment on Coruscant in which to start their new life together. It had been Myri's idea, since the two had been searching long and fruitlessly for affordable accomodation on Coruscant where they had decided to settle. Ben had refused his father's offer of their family home, claiming it was high time he struck out for himself. But getting him to agree to move into the residence of the late Darth Caedus hadn't been easy. Ben had been Jacen's informal apprentice once, and Jacen had been his hero. That state of affairs, however, had ended in tragedy, with Jacen succumbing to the Dark Side and Ben's life being torn apart as a result. He had lived here before with his Master, but now it only reminded him of a man he would much rather forget.

Myri had always watched helplessly from afar as Ben fought the demons of his past alone. He had tried but never succeeded in forgiving the memory of his deceased brother and it had long been a burden he had borne in silence.

Ben's aunt, Leia Organa Solo, had suggested the option to Myri in secret and Myri had instantly seen the potential in the idea. She had carried out all the negotiations herself, and only revealed it to her husband on their wedding day. He had been immediately resistant, as Myri and Leia both had known he would, but after much debate, Myri had succeeded in convincing him to see her point of view. He was beginning a new chapter in his life, and it was high time he left the baggage of the previous one behind.  
Nevertheless, it still took some getting used to.

* * *

"Does it still give you the chills?" Myri asked, scooting up to him and nuzzling her chin on his shoulder.

Ben gave a non-committal shrug.  
"Looks pretty harmless now that it's so empty, but... might get spooky at night."

Myri snickered.  
"He doesn't haunt the place, I checked."  
Ben turned to her with a raised eyebrow.  
"Oh? Spent the night alone in the former lair of a Sith Lord? Does _anything _ frighten you, my lady?"

Myri wrapped her arms around him and played with the gleaming wedding ring she now sported on her left hand.  
"I was pretty nervous about telling you about it," she admitted frankly.  
"Wasn't sure if you'd agree and I'd already made a down payment on which there wouldn't have been a refund."

Ben nodded slowly.  
"I see. So the fear of losing out on your investment, huh?"

Myri pinched him lightly on his chest.  
"No. The fear of losing out on my husband."

Ben's eyebrow went up again and an interested smirk played on his lips.

Myri continued to fidget as she spoke.

"The place had been vandalized when I came to see it, Ben. It had been lying that way for years and was a complete wreck. The landlord said some fanatic Corellians had broken in one night and trashed the place. All the furniture had been smashed and there was graffiti all over the walls. He had given up all hope that it could be sold at all, having had Jacen Solo as its previous owner. He was only too happy to get rid of it at whatever price he could, but he insisted that I pay some serious earnest money. I think he was paranoid that I would bail on him later.

"But my main concern was you. I knew how you felt about him, Ben, and I didn't know how I would get you to agree. I've seen you wrestling with the issue of Jacen so many times and even Aunt Leia said it was important I get you to move on. But you never let anyone into that part of your heart, do you? I-I was taking a big risk here, and... I was afraid it might be a dealbreaker for you..."

She trailed off. Ben's face wore an unreadable expression and Myri couldn't bring herself to look.

They remained in that uncomfortable silence for a while.

Finally, Ben shifted and took Myri's hand in his own as he gently lifted her face to meet his.  
"You... are a miracle-worker, you know that?"

His voice was husky with emotion.  
"You love me enough to take that kind of a chance for me?"

Myri looked at him and bit her lip in silence. She could almost hear the loud thumping of her heart, reverberating in her ears.

Ben looked down at their fingers tightly entwined in his lap and swallowed the lump forming in his throat.  
"I...I know I've had my problems coming to terms with what Jacen did to our family. Maybe I still do. He scarred me, and fact is that maybe that's going to haunt me for life. But Myri, when I- when I pledged my life to you, I didn't mean for these old scars to taint you too. I never want you to feel that- that just because you don't have the Force, I exclude you from any part of my life. My heart is yours, Myri. All of it. For always."

Myri's jaw set stubbornly.  
"Look, I'm in this for the long haul, Ben. I mean, that's what these rings _mean_, right? I'll be here for you through the good times and the bad. How can you possibly think that something that affects you this deeply wouldn't have an effect on me? And this is not about the Force, ok? You are who you are. I know that. I respect that. And I love you for it. It's just that... well, what happened with Jacen and... your family... I know it hurts you. You miss your mother, Ben. I can see that whenever I look at you and I don't need the Force to tell me that. The way he treated you... Why, if I could get my hands on him, I'd rip him in half with my bare hands! But Aunt Leia and I talked about this, and she told me that you needed to let him go so that you could find peace within yourself. Peace enough for you to think about the future. Our future."

Her voice softened as she said the last.

Ben cupped her cheek and looked at her with such love she felt she could drown in the twin pools of his eyes.  
"My future lies with you now, Myri," he said at last.  
"Jacen may have cast a shadow upon my life so far, but I'll be damned if I let him affect our future. You were right, and so was Aunt Leia. I guess I did need you to show me the light."

Myri smiled and reached up for a kiss he didn't want to let go.

When she detached herself from his embrace, her eyes twinkled at him mischievously.  
"So that's what it feels like to be right after marriage."

Ben's eyes narrowed.  
"Yeah, great. Don't get cocky. Trust a Solo to know me better than I know myself!"

"Maybe I should hang out with Aunt Leia more. She seems to have the right ideas about you."

Ben smiled.  
"Yeah, she's amost always right."

"_Almost always?! _ I don't think she'd be very happy to hear you said that!"

"Ok, fine! Always! Happy? Sheesh! Do you really want me whipped quite so soon?"

Myri's eyes sparkled and she snaked her arms about his neck.  
"Whipped, hmmm?"

Her fingers teased his shoulder muscles. Ben let out a pleased moan.  
"Oh wow!"

His own arms pulled his wife further into his lap as he relaxed.  
"Do that some more, honey."

Myri giggled.  
"We don't even have a bed set up yet, Red!"

Ben reached up and grabbed a fistful of her shirt yanking her down on top of him.  
"I don't need a bed to want you, sweetling."

He nibbled her neck as his hand found it's way beneath the fabric to cup a breast.

Myri felt her breathing grow ragged.  
"You want us to rut on the floor like animals?"

Ben rolled her over onto her back, his eyes dark with desire.  
"Rutting, she calls it. And here I thought you were going to be right about everything from now on."

She could feel herself succumbing to her own overpowering need at the sight of his body poised above hers, the toned musculature emphasized by the stray streams of light coming in through the windows. Her nails lightly raked his back, making him tense like a sand-panther about to spring.

"A Sith Lord used to live here, Eight. And now here we are, about to inaugurate it as our new home. You tell me that's not hot!"

She had to laugh at that. And just like that, the spell of darkness that had lain over the apartment for so many years was broken. Oh yes, this would be home to many happy memories indeed!

_**[tbc...]**_


	2. Housewarming

They came in a raucous horde, surprisingly on time, bearing all the provisions that would be guaranteed to make this a night to remember.

Ben Skywalker opened the door, and welcomed them with a curt and solemn bow.  
"Welcome to the Skywalkers'," he said, utterly seriously.

The party bustled in.

* * *

Old Mr. Ossik Platt in the upstairs apartment made a face as he sat down to dinner with his wife. His arthritis had been acting up all day and moreover, his wife had made ribene stew. He hated ribene stew but never had the heart to tell her so.

"Where's all that racket coming from?" he asked, screwing up his face and squinting at his wife's doleful features.

"Those new kids downstairs are having a housewarming," Mrs. Platt replied in her characteristically mild tone.

"Damn 'em stupid kids! They'll make me go deaf in my old age!"

Mrs. Platt shrugged.  
"They're good kids. I met the girl. Lively young thing. Newlyweds, I believe."

"Huh. And they took the cursed apartment? I was beginning to think Shotzi was never going to sell it. Didn't he start the rumour it was haunted?"

Mrs. Platt frowned.  
"Ever since those awful vandals broke in, all those years ago... and then there was that man who used to live there before that. Never said a word. Never even knew when he was there. I think he was somebody big in the government. It's been empty since, more than ten years now."

"Well. Atleast it was peaceful then."

"Oh I think it'll be nice to have some new neighbours. The girl's promised she'll drop by for tea."

"If their infernal music-playing continues, you won't have anything to serve her tea in! This pounding'll smash the china! See? Even the table is shaking!"

Sure enough, a dull, continuous rhythmic thump seemed to be coming up from the floor and all their rickety old furniture had started vibrating ever so slightly.

"I'm gonna call the police if it goes on much longer. Some people need sleep around here! Stupid kids these days! You tell that to your lively young girl when she comes for tea!"

Mrs. Platt sighed and shook her head. She wished she could remember back to the days they had been newly married. It had to have been better than this.

* * *

Myri poked her head around the kitchen entrance.  
"Red! Turn the music down! We have neighbours now! You want CSF busting up our party?!"

Ben grinned at her from the music player.  
"CSF's already here, sweetheart. And they're the ones partying the hardest!"

Sure enough, a group of Myri's new colleagues from the Coruscant Security Force were lined up at the bar, doing shots and cheering loudly.

Myri pursed her lips and walked up to her husband.  
She was dressed in a bottle-green shimmersilk cocktail dress that reached her knees and draped over only one shoulder. Glittering at her throat was the heart-of-fire pendant she'd gotten from Jaina and Jag at the wedding dangling from a fine gold chain.

Ben's eyes softened when he noticed it. The thin gold veins running through it reflected all the colours of the rainbow when it caught the light at a certain angle. He had already imprinted it with a message for her through the Force. If ever he should die without having had a chance to say goodbye to her (as was all too likely for a Jedi in times of war), he hoped it would act as a source of closure. He would never repeat his mother's mistake of leaving his father only with a scribbled note...

He forcefully pushed away the dark thoughts and smiled at his radiant wife. She stalked up and turned down the volume control.  
Immediately, a chorus of boos echoed from around the room.

Myri shook her head.  
"Sorry, folks. We've got to behave like responsible adult citizens here. We've put in a lot of blood and sweat into setting this place up and we'd rather we weren't evicted so soon!"

Ben raised a pacifying hand.  
"My bad, ladies and gentlebeings. Allow me to change the mood of this party- from strip-club to black tie!"

He switched playlists and elegant chamber jazz began playing.  
"Better?" he enquired of his wife.

She reached over and laid a light kiss on his cheek.  
"Much better."

"How 'bout a dance then, milady, with your DJ- for-life?"

Myri smiled and patted his arm.  
"Soon. I promise."

* * *

Valin Horn sauntered up to his younger friend and leaned against the giant state-of-the-art sound system.  
"So, how's the old ball and chain been treating you?"

Ben gave him a lop-sided grin.  
"On the whole? Pretty darn great! You should try it for yourself sometime, Horn."

Valin cleared his throat and looked slightly shifty.  
"Yeah, about that... say, you doing anything this weekend?"

Ben frowned, a curious spike in Valin's emotions telling him this was going to be interesting.  
"Not really. What's on your mind, bro?"

"I- uh... was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Oh? What's that?"

"I need help picking out a ring."

Ben's eyes widened to twice their size.  
"Hold the comm!"

He grabbed his friend's arm and steered him away to a slightly more secluded corner.  
"For _Syal_?! Man, you guys haven't even dated for a _year_!"

Valin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  
"Yeah, I know. But she's the one, Ben. I'm telling you, this is it! I've never felt this way about anyone before! I mean, I know I had feelings for her from way before but was too chicken to admit it, but... Look, thing is, neither of us is getting any younger. And what with seeing her baby sister getting married, I think she wants a bigger committment too."

Ben's heart was thumping excitedly. He looked at his friend, his eyes sparkling.  
"Hey, you're absolutely sure you wanna do this? No backing out?"

Valin bit his lip, but then smiled with only the barest hint of uncertainty.  
"Yes. Yes I do. I love Syal and I want to ask her to be my wife!"

Ben clapped him on the back with a loud hoot of laughter.  
"You realize we're going to be like brothers-in-law, then?! Welcome to the family, Horn! And before you even bother to ask, _of course _ I'd be honoured to be your Best Man!"

* * *

Ben had just loaded a very high Fletcher Dyce into an airtaxi and re-entered his apartment. He surveyed the wreckage through which his wife was carefully picking her way over to the couch. She collapsed on it with a huge sigh and closed her eyes.

"I am honestly getting way too old for parties like this," she claimed.

Ben made his way over and sank down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.  
"Speak for yourself! I'm still in the prime of my youth!"

"Whatever was I _thinking _ marrying a man eight years younger than me?!"

"Maybe, 'Man! Now _there's _ an ass I wouldn't mind growing old with!' ?"

Myri punched his arm playfully.  
"Nerf!"  
Nevertheless, she drew her feet up and snuggled under his arm.

Ben laid his head back and chuckled softly to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just thinking that maybe married life isn't so bad, after all!"

Myri lifted her head and looked at him shrewdly.  
"No you weren't. That's not what you were thinking at all!"

Ben raised his eyebrows at her.  
"Impressive. Most impressive. Has Dad been teaching you how to read my mind?"

His wife still looked at him suspiciously.  
"No. I don't need him to. I can read you all too well on my own, Red. So? What is it?"

Ben solemnly shook his head.  
"Nuh-uh, Officer. That's classified information. I'm not at a liberty to divulge, I'm afraid."

This time it was Myri's turn to raise her eyebrows.  
"Keeping secrets from me already, is it? Well, that's a habit I'm going to have to break!"

"Sorry, sweetheart. But I gave my word as a bro. The code dictates, you know. 'Bros before ho- ahem... wives'".

"So... Valin, huh?"

"Maybe."

"When's he planning to pop the big question?"

Ben very nearly yelped in surprise.  
"Wha-?! Were you eavesdropping, Eight? How- how did you find out?!"

Myri heaved an exaggerated sigh.  
"Red, I wish you wouldn't keep underestimating my capabilities. I'm an Intelligence officer. And a particularly good one. Not for nothing. I know what it takes to weasel the truth out of people. Even you, Jedi."

Ben pulled her closer to him.  
"I sincerely apologize, my lady. You're right as always."

Myri smirked.  
"There. So much better. Looks like there's hope for you as a husband yet!"

She idly twisted the button on his dinner jacket.  
"Besides, Syal deserves this. I know how long she's waited for a guy like Valin to come along, and I want my sister to be happy. So even if Horn wasn't thinking about proposing, I'd have knocked it into his head soon enough."

Ben was looking at Myri with a look akin to wonder in his cerulean eyes.  
"Eight, please promise me you'll always be on my side. If ever _you _ were to fall to the Dark Side, I have no doubt we'd have another 'Iceheart' on our hands!"

Myri laughed and reached for a clumsily stoppered half-finished bottle of Alderaanian wine lying on the caf table.  
"Well, then let's hope it never has to come to that! I have far too many plans for us to become 'Madame Director' anytime soon!"

Ben shuddered, then took the bottle and pulled out the cork with his teeth.  
"I'll drink to that!"

He took a mighty swig and passed the bottle back, getting to his feet and extending a hand to her.  
"You know, I never got that dance you promised me earlier..."

Myri smiled up at him dazzlingly and accepted.

Ben gestured at the music system and one of their old slow favourites began to play.

Myri leaned her head against his chest and breathed in his musky smell contentedly.  
"I'm lucky to have you to share these moments with, Ben," she said.

Her husband smiled fondly.  
"I always knew you were a sucker for my charm."

She looked around the apartment.  
"What a mess. There's barely any room to dance!"

Ben gently tucked away a stray lock of her hair.  
"Hey, you know what the best part is? This is _our _ home, _our _ mess. And there's no one I'd rather be dancing with in it, than you."


	3. Fete Day Traditions

_**A/N: And here it is. The final chapter of this short story. Hope you all enjoyed it. I simply can't get enough of this super-sweet couple so hopefully you all will get to see them more in the future. But for now, adieu. Do leave final thoughts and comments. You know I love 'em!**_

_**-FK.**_

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

_"Please?"_

"Hell, no!"

Davin and Cherian Fel stomped away from the knot of immediate family members comprising of their father, mother and grandfather, dark sulks adorning their faces, and almost collided with the legs of their eldest cousin.

"Whoa there, short stuffs! Watch where you're going! Oh my, what's with those _stunning _ scowls?"

They looked up at him darkly.  
"Ben, can we have a drink?"

"Oh, sure!"

Dav and Che's expressions morphed into ones of incredulity in seconds.  
"We _can?!_ You're not kidding?!"

"Well, sure you can!"

He lifted two glasses half-filled with a dark liquid off the tray he was carrying and handed one to each of the dumbstruck boys.  
"Here ya go. Enjoy!"

He winked and moved off.

Their hearts hammering in their chests, the Fel twins exchanged an excited glance and in three seconds swigged down their glasses.  
And then collapsed against the nearest wall, gagging, hacking and pounding each other on the back.

"Ben Skywalker! You _shenbit!_" they yelled in unison.  
"That was just GalactiCola! Ooooh! My insides are_ burning!_"

On the other side of the room, their cousin turned and grinned.  
"What did you expect?! After your daddy, mommy _and _ grandaddy all said no? Think I'm _suicidal _ or something?!"

* * *

It was her first Fete Week as a member of the Skywalker-Solo family and Myri was nervous. Because this was also the first time she would be hosting the traditional Fete Day dinner at her and Ben's new apartment on Coruscant.  
They were expecting a rather large number of guests, and Myri hoped the apartment wouldn't feel too cramped.  
Thankfully, Ben had taken the actual dinner off her hands. Which left her to arrange for... well, everything else and clean up so the apartment was presentable.

At the end, she stood ticking off a mental checklist so as to make sure she hadn't missed anything. As the first time hostess, she wanted to make the best impression on her in-laws that she possibly could.

_Well-stocked liquour cabinet and cocktail counter + Fizzade for the kids- check._  
_Sabacc table- check_  
_Best table linen and dinnerware- well... relatively, check._  
_Now, to more important things- What shall I wear...?_

Ben sneaked up behind her and encircled her waist.

"Red, I can _smell _ you from a hundred yards away," Myri groaned, but leaned back against him anyway.

"Oh yeah? Remember that it's the smell of your wonderfully talented husband putting in a lot of hard work which _you _ get credit for this evening!"

Despite herself, she had to smile.  
"Mmmm. Well, I didn't say you smelled _bad_..."

Ben spun her around and captured her lips in a kiss.  
"Wait till you get a taste of my nerf-steaks tonight, sweetheart. I promise you you're going to fall in love with me all over again!"

Looking at the dancing light in his eyes, Myri had absolutely no doubt that she would.

* * *

Luke Skywalker paused outside the apartment door to straighten his robes before he rang the buzzer. He knew he would probably be the first one there.

His son opened the door with a look of faint irritation.

"We gave you a key-card for a reason, Dad," he greeted him.  
"You needn't announce yourself every time."

"The exercise will do you good, Jedi Skywalker," his father retorted amiably, walking in and handing him his outer robe.  
"Men tend to become complacent after they're married."

Ben glanced sideways at him.  
"My wife is a former CorSec and current CSF agent, Dad. Believe me when I tell you she'll have no qualms about pulling a blaster on me when I cease to meet her expectations. Think about it, did you let up on _your_ training after you married Mom?"

Luke smiled and moved to the kitchen for a glass of water.  
"So where is the missus?"

Ben winced.  
"Have I told you how much I hate it when you refer to her like that? She's got a name, you know. And she's still getting dressed."

"And you're done?"

"With the exception of the twins and Allana, everyone coming here tonight has seen me in diapers, Dad. And even Allana's occasionally witnessed my true Dark Side. I have nothing left to prove."

His father chuckled.

Just at that moment, Myri came out of the bedroom, dressed very fashionably in sheer formal pants paired with shiny black stillettos and an A-line top in shimmering blue. Heavy eye make-up made her look very chic.

"Grand Master," she greeted, beaming and coming forward to kiss her father-in-law on both cheeks.

"Myri, my dear, what have I told you about calling me that?"

She shrugged and looked askance at her husband.  
"It's actually my retribution on him. He finds it impossible to address my dad as anything but 'General'!"

Luke glared at his son.

Ben widened his eyes.  
"He loves it! I doubt he'd rather I called him anything else. And he always takes on this stern commanding tone whenever he talks to me."

Myri rolled her eyes.  
"You two have issues," she muttered.

* * *

_So far so good._

Myri walked around the party and felt her heart swell with no uncertain amount of pride. She and Ben had pulled it off! _No disasters... yet._ She discreetly crossed her fingers behind her back.

She crossed over to the carefully set up bar counter which was her husband's pride and joy in the apartment.

Ben, the self-appointed bartender for the evening, jogged over.  
"What can I interest milady in this evening?"

She smiled at him, her eyes reflecting her excitement.  
"We did it, Red! We managed to pull off a sane party!"

Ben flashed her a lop-sided grin.  
"Wait till your dad and my uncle have the best parts of a bottle of Whyren's inside them. That's when the fun's really gonna start! But seriously, can I rustle you up something?"

She rested her arm on the bar-top and placed her chin in her hand, batting her eyelashes prettily at him.  
"Surprise me."

Ben didn't need a second invitation to lean in for a kiss.

* * *

Dinner turned out to be a grand success. For Ben, the high point came when his uncle and father-in-law, both reasonably drunk by then, started arguing over the nerf-steaks.

"Dammit, Wedge!" Han insisted, slapping the table, " I'm tellin' ya. He learned the recipe from _me!_"

"I've had your nerf-steaks, Solo," Wedge Antilles responded, unfazed, "And these aren't your nerf-steaks."

A thunderous frown formed on Han Solo's brows and he began to slowly rise to his feet.  
"Hold on just a minute. Are you saying my nephew's cooking... isn't _good enough _ for you?!"

Wedge's eyes were hard points as he looked down his nose at the older Corellian.  
"No, I'm saying that _my _ son-in-law's steaks are _better!_"

* * *

"Now this burtalle," Lando Calrissian was saying, grinning genially as he sat back and held up a cut-glass decanter containing a clear amber liquid, "Is a particularly special one for a very special Calrissian family tradition."

Tendra Risant Calrissian, Lando's extremely attractive wife, looked around at everyone as she explained.  
"Lando's made it 'tradition' to open the oldest bottle of burtalle he has every Fete Day. It's to appreciate the old and make way for the new, as he puts it."

Han snorted into his whisky glass.  
"Well, that's a better tradition than Leia's annual spiceloaf!"

Ben, Jaina and Allana immediately sprang to Leia's defence.

"Uncle Han, it's tradition," Ben interposed, solemnly.

"Yeah, Grandpa. You can't argue with tradition," Allana piped up.

"And the worse it is, the better, right, Mom?" smirked Jaina.  
"You really outdid yourself this year. The spiceloaf was positively _unpalatable!_"

Leia smiled smugly.

Jag looked around curiously.  
"You mean this is actually a ritual joke?" he asked.

"See, Mom can't cook" Jaina explained, matter-of-factly.  
"In fact, none of the Skywalker women can. Even Aunt Mara couldn't! I actually attribute Ben's culinary skills to this very deprivation. But Mom would always insist on making her spiceloaf for Fete Day dinner every year! Eventually, it got so unbearable, we decided to absorb it as a joke, since we sure as hell couldn't _eat _ it!"

Jag tried to suppress his amusement, but failed.  
"You know, we Fels had a holiday tradition too, back on Csilla when we were children."

Han looked at him suspiciously.  
"Really? Soontir allowed it? He didn't just give you a double dose of military rations as a Fete Day treat?"

Jag looked miffed.  
"Father would participate in it with us. It was what Mother called the Ryshcate Treasure Hunt."

Wedge looked up at this from the other end of the table, obviously surprised.  
"The Ryshcate Hunt?"

Jag nodded.

"Why, that used to be _our _ old family tradition on Gus Treta! Syal taught it to you kids?"

Jag grinned broadly.  
"Mother would make a special ryshcate the day before Fete Day and hide huge slices of it in different places. And at night, Father and we would all launch a mission to find them all. It used to be intensely competitive, needless to say. Chak would inevitably get into a fight with either Davin or me and Father would have to punish us afterwards. But Mother's ryshcate was always worth it."  
He smiled fondly at the remembrance.

Wedge nodded enthusiastically.  
"It was one tradition I preserved even after our parents died. I taught it to Mirax and either she or Booster would always manage a ryshcate in time for Fete Day. Does she still do it?" he enquired of Valin, sitting to his left and following the conversation interestedly.

"Yeah. But Dad insists on some sappy old story of it being in memory of how she had baked him a ryshcate when they'd first met."  
He shrugged.  
"Personally, I prefer the Fete Day Hunt explanation. I remember me and Jysella once made Master Tionne organize the Hunt in Shelter on Fete Day for all the kids. Remember, Syal?"

His new fiancee nodded in acquiescence.

He looked over at Ben.  
"You, of course, were far too young to remember that."

Ben leaned his chair back on its legs and caught his father's eye.  
"We have our own Skywalker family traditions, don't we, Dad?"

Luke nodded at him and grinned.  
"Yep. Fete Day wouldn't be Fete Day without a mug of after-dinner hot chocolate."

"With _extra_ whipped cream!"  
Ben's eyes twinkled.

Han, Jaina and Myri, the caf-lovers, all groaned.

Dav and Che had so far been unusually patient, listening to all the adults' conversation. But now they felt they had to put in their own two-cred worth.

"But what about _presents _?"  
Che Fel bluntly pointed out the part of Fete Day that interested him the most.

His father, sitting beside him, chuckled softly and pulled them both onto his lap so they could witness the reactions from the gathered audience.  
"I was wondering when somebody was going to come to that," he remarked.

Luke, Han and Leia looked to their children and grandchildren, who were smiling amongst themselves.

"Ah yes, the presents", Luke sighed indulgently.

"Is it midnight yet?" Davin asked worriedly, afraid the magical hour when they would finally be let loose upon their bounty would slip by in the wake of all the family remembrances.

Ben reached over and ruffled his hair.  
"Don't worry, kiddo," he assured him, "It's not midnight yet. I've got my eye on the clock too!"

Lando turned to the newly engaged Syal Antilles with a benevolent smile.  
"Well then, in honour of your special news, Syal, my dear, would you oblige us by initiating the celebrations?"  
He offered her the bottle of burtalle.

Syal, taken by surprise at being asked, blushed, but accepted the honour gladly.

* * *

As the clock chimed the midnight hour, all assembled at the table raised their glasses in toast.

Ben leaned over to kiss Myri soundly on the lips, even as their little cousins emitted war-whoops of delight and shot off to attack the pile of presents waiting for them in a special corner.

"Happy Fete Day, sweetheart."

She looked at him, her happiness shining through her eyes.  
"Right back at you, rockstar. The first of many, d'you think?"

Ben flashed her a wide cock-sure grin.  
"You know it."

And the two kissed again, more in love now than they had been the first time they'd dared open their hearts to each other.

* * *

Leia was standing in the quiet semi-darkness of the balcony when she felt the familiar presence of her husband draw closer.

"There you are. I was looking for you. Everything alright, Princess?"

She turned around and smiled at him warmly.  
"Everything's lovely, Han. Come, stand with me for a while."

He gladly obliged, wrapping an arm around her.  
They stood in silence, the light breeze making Leia's open hair wave ever so slightly. Han looked down at her as she gave a soft sigh that might have escaped almost anyone else less attuned to her moods.

"Thinking about him?"

Leia gave a slight imperceptible nod.  
"I wish he could have found such happiness here. Or anywhere, for that matter."

"We were never invited when he lived here, were we?"

This time Leia shook her head, a small ironic smile lifting the corner of her lips.  
"Everytime I look at Ben, I'm newly proud of the way he's turned his life around. Force knows he deserves every scrap of it."

Han nodded behind her, shifting to hold her around her waist.  
"Yeah. But it makes you wonder too, doesn't it?"

Leia turned around to look her husband in the eyes and found the old grief pooling in their depths. The grief for their sons.  
She reached up to lay a soft hand against his rough cheek.  
"Jacen could have had all of this, Han. He chose not to. And finally, I think I'm at peace with the choices he made."

She smiled, this time for real, and turned back to the panoramic view of the infinite city at their feet.  
"Something tells me this house has never seen as much laughter as it has tonight. Myri and Ben made the right decision in deciding to convert this into their home. I know they will continue to fill it with their happiness and love. And I believe it will be a better place for it."

**THE END**


End file.
